In Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 45, 1963-1969, (1967), J. G. Atkinson et al disclose the use of long, silver nitrate-ethylene glycol gas chromatographic columns to separate deuterated olefins differing by only one deuterium atom. Also, V. Schurig et al., in Chromatographia, 6, No. 5, 223-225, (1973), disclose the use of dicarbonylrhodium-3-trifluoroacetyl-d-camphorate as the stationary phase in gas-liquid chromatography in which olefins, including ethylene and deuterated ethylene were separated. While these prior art methods can be used in the separation of unsaturated compounds, such as olefins, they are not suitable for use in the separation of organic compounds containing functional groups, such as hydroxyls in alcohols, and differing in isotopic composition.
It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a process for separating organic compounds containing an electron donor group that differ in isotopic composition.
Another object of the invention is to provide a process for separating a deuterated organic compound having an electron donor group from an isotopic mixture of organic compounds having an electron donor group.
A further object of the invention is to provide a process for the analysis of the products of deuteration reactions.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a process for detecting small quantities of non-deuterated, partially deuterated or totally deuterated organic compounds in the presence of other compounds differing only in the degree of deuteration. A still further object of the invention is to provide a process for the separation of isotopes contained in any compound or moiety which can interact to differing degrees with a lanthanide chelate, thereby affording the physicochemical basis for a separation or enrichment.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying disclosure.